Help with Remington 870!

portlandron · November 25, 2007, 07:14 PM

I'm relatively new to my Remington 870 Express...I had to disassemble it before firing it for the first time (that's another story!)...upon reassembling everything seems to work fine and it fires fine. However, I have to press the Action Button up before it will allow me to work the pump and chamber the first shell. After the first shell, I can work the action fine and shoot all shots. It seems wrong that I need to push up the action bar before it will let me work the pump...is this wrong? If so, any idea on what I put together incorrectly to cause this?

thanks,
Ron

Splat!! · November 25, 2007, 09:15 PM

Unless the gun has been fired you have to push button to cycle action...........Normal operation....

rantingredneck · November 25, 2007, 09:51 PM

Uh, yeah, that's the way they work. When the firing pin goes forward it releases the action for the next shot. If the firing pin is cocked the action is locked.

Many people (including me) advocate keeping shotguns "cruiser ready" for HD. This means firing pin down on an empty chamber.

Ensure the weapon is unloaded. Double check that the weapon is unloaded. Triple check that the weapon.......you get the point. Then dry fire it. Then load the magazine. Now since the firing pin is down you'll only have to rack and go.

wgdavdsn · November 28, 2007, 09:09 PM

RantingRedneck wrote: "...Triple check that the weapon.......you get the point. Then dry fire it. Then load the magazine. Now since the firing pin is down you'll only have to rack and go."

I've heard dry-firing is bad for the firing pin and/or other parts, but this may not be an issue with an 870. (Mine is an 870 Express Magnum 2 3/4-3")

So, I don't know if it's O.K. to dry-fire, or to just use a "snap cap."

What do you experts say?

Greg D.
Northern VA

rantingredneck · November 28, 2007, 09:10 PM

Dryfiring an 870 is no problem. Some guns yes. An 870 no.

Dfariswheel · November 29, 2007, 01:03 AM

The 870, like most modern pump shotguns is perfectly OK with unlimited dry firing.

Police shotguns in departments that issue guns from an armory to each out-going watch are often dry fired MANY thousands of times in their service life with no problems.

okiewita40 · November 29, 2007, 07:04 PM

I'll second rantingredneck on the cruiser safe. We use 870's in my dept. when we have them out we always keep them in the cruiser safe mode. These weapons have gone through a bunch of stocks due to clearing of jams. We have never had to replace a firing pin in any of the 870's. And I would have to say these shotguns have tens of thousands of rounds put through them. Dry firing a modern pump SG is not going to hurt it at all.

wgdavdsn · November 29, 2007, 09:08 PM

Great -- thank you, RantingRedNeck, Dfariswheel and Okiewitha40 for the benifit of your substantial experience with the 870!

rantingredneck · November 30, 2007, 12:10 AM

No problem. You have a firearm there that has an expected lifespan of about a quarter million rounds. Now take it out and shoot the heck out of it.

.

Neanderthal · November 30, 2007, 09:16 AM

I have been dry firing my Wingmaster since the mid-70's. Never a firing pin problem. You can use these fine guns any way you want to. Keep it clean (super easy), and you and your family members after you die will never wear it out. I have cleaned a friends 870 that was made in the 50's- yes, about 50 years old-it was used heavily every one of those years. When assembled, it had back and forth play in the barrel-had to put a bushing under the magazine cap to make the barrel fit! That was after 2 days of hard hunting. The action was so loose and worn you would have to have seen it to believe it! And guess what? It shot the most pheasants and performed perfecty every shot. IMO these are the toughest, longest lasting pumps, period!

November 25, 2007, 07:14 PM	#1
portlandron Junior Member Join Date: November 25, 2007 Posts: 1	Help with Remington 870! I'm relatively new to my Remington 870 Express...I had to disassemble it before firing it for the first time (that's another story!)...upon reassembling everything seems to work fine and it fires fine. However, I have to press the Action Button up before it will allow me to work the pump and chamber the first shell. After the first shell, I can work the action fine and shoot all shots. It seems wrong that I need to push up the action bar before it will let me work the pump...is this wrong? If so, any idea on what I put together incorrectly to cause this? thanks, Ron

November 28, 2007, 09:09 PM	#4
wgdavdsn Junior Member Join Date: November 28, 2007 Posts: 3	Dry firing -- RantingRedneck wrote: "...Triple check that the weapon.......you get the point. Then dry fire it. Then load the magazine. Now since the firing pin is down you'll only have to rack and go." I've heard dry-firing is bad for the firing pin and/or other parts, but this may not be an issue with an 870. (Mine is an 870 Express Magnum 2 3/4-3") So, I don't know if it's O.K. to dry-fire, or to just use a "snap cap." What do you experts say? Greg D. Northern VA

November 29, 2007, 07:04 PM	#7
okiewita40 Senior Member Join Date: June 11, 2007 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 409	I'll second rantingredneck on the cruiser safe. We use 870's in my dept. when we have them out we always keep them in the cruiser safe mode. These weapons have gone through a bunch of stocks due to clearing of jams. We have never had to replace a firing pin in any of the 870's. And I would have to say these shotguns have tens of thousands of rounds put through them. Dry firing a modern pump SG is not going to hurt it at all. __________________ What on god's green earth do you think your doing?

November 29, 2007, 09:08 PM	#8
wgdavdsn Junior Member Join Date: November 28, 2007 Posts: 3	870 -- dry-fire O.K.? Great -- thank you, RantingRedNeck, Dfariswheel and Okiewitha40 for the benifit of your substantial experience with the 870!

November 25, 2007, 09:15 PM	#2
Splat!! Member Join Date: February 13, 2007 Posts: 69	Unless the gun has been fired you have to push button to cycle action...........Normal operation....

November 25, 2007, 09:51 PM	#3
rantingredneck Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,728	Uh, yeah, that's the way they work. When the firing pin goes forward it releases the action for the next shot. If the firing pin is cocked the action is locked. Many people (including me) advocate keeping shotguns "cruiser ready" for HD. This means firing pin down on an empty chamber. Ensure the weapon is unloaded. Double check that the weapon is unloaded. Triple check that the weapon.......you get the point. Then dry fire it. Then load the magazine. Now since the firing pin is down you'll only have to rack and go.

November 28, 2007, 09:10 PM	#5
rantingredneck Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,728	Dryfiring an 870 is no problem. Some guns yes. An 870 no.

November 29, 2007, 01:03 AM	#6
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	The 870, like most modern pump shotguns is perfectly OK with unlimited dry firing. Police shotguns in departments that issue guns from an armory to each out-going watch are often dry fired MANY thousands of times in their service life with no problems.

November 30, 2007, 12:10 AM	#9
rantingredneck Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,728	No problem. You have a firearm there that has an expected lifespan of about a quarter million rounds. Now take it out and shoot the heck out of it. .

November 30, 2007, 09:16 AM	#10
Neanderthal Member Join Date: October 20, 2007 Posts: 36	I have been dry firing my Wingmaster since the mid-70's. Never a firing pin problem. You can use these fine guns any way you want to. Keep it clean (super easy), and you and your family members after you die will never wear it out. I have cleaned a friends 870 that was made in the 50's- yes, about 50 years old-it was used heavily every one of those years. When assembled, it had back and forth play in the barrel-had to put a bushing under the magazine cap to make the barrel fit! That was after 2 days of hard hunting. The action was so loose and worn you would have to have seen it to believe it! And guess what? It shot the most pheasants and performed perfecty every shot. IMO these are the toughest, longest lasting pumps, period!